


Even What You Count On Changes Over Time

by broken_hearted_bard



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Gilmore: EWE, Literati (Gilmore Girls), Not AYITL canon, Post Bon Voyage (S07E22), Post-Canon, Stars Hollow, gilmore girls - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-20
Updated: 2015-11-20
Packaged: 2018-05-02 12:50:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5248850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broken_hearted_bard/pseuds/broken_hearted_bard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But sometimes, yes sometimes, it stays the same.</p><p>Rory/Jess. Post Season 7, Episode 22. Prompt from tumblr user iwantthepony was "drastic."</p><p>Rory comes home.</p><p>Dedication: For my wife. Nearing her birthday (11/21/2015).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Even What You Count On Changes Over Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [deandratb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/deandratb/gifts).



> For those of my readers who are looking forward to my continuation of my HP or BTVS works, I will get back to them. I went on a road trip, got married, went on our honeymoon, then got a head cold, the head cold moved into my chest, I'm still recovering, then my vertigo decided to act up in a bad way, and now I'm having trouble sleeping at night...and so, I will be back, to my other fandoms, I promise.

She stepped out of the house and walked down the front steps. There was a slight chill in the air. 

As she drove through the town she kept an eye out for everything that had changed. She’d gotten in too late last night to really notice. She hadn’t been back for years. Her career had taken her to places she’d only dreamed of. Not even the end of her marriage, three years before, had moved her to coming home. But now she was here, and she was determined to stay.

She slowed the car to a crawl.

There was a small apartment building that hadn’t been there before, on the corner, across from Luke’s. It was small, and much more modern than she’d figured for Stars Hollow – it was tall, dark gray, with too many windows and, in her mind, not enough character. Luke’s was the same, and still had Doose’s Old Fashioned Soda Shoppe right next to it, followed by the Stars Hollow Library.

The Stationary Store was still around the corner from Doose’s Market, but there was also a store she’d never seen before, simply called Kitchen. Antonioli’s Restaurant was now Al’s International Sportsbar. The building next to Stars Hollow Federal (the bank and post office) was no longer empty and was now Jackson’s Fresh Veg – she wondered how Taylor had allowed that. 

Many things were still the same. Gypsy’s Garage and Filling Station was still next to the Bootsy’s Newsstand, and Miss Patty’s Dance Studio and Gym was right next door to it, though it was larger now. The Black, White, and Read Bookstore and Theater was still next to the Le Chat Club. The Churchogue was no longer and instead was just a Church again. Across from the Park, it’s signage mentioned five types of Christian worship services, on different days, that it offered. 

Gabby’s Flowers, next to Music Lane which had at one time been Sophie’s Music, had changed to just The Flower Shoppe. In between the new apartment complex and Stars Hollow Arcade and Daycare (which had been Stars Hollow Video) was a four-story building that housed Faretta’s BarberShop, Stars Hollow Party Supply, Tricky’s Dry Cleaner and The Office Supply Shop.

Weston’s Bakery was still next to the building that housed Nancy’s Cottage of Calico, Hollow Vintage Clothing, the Travel Agency, Kit’s Knitting Store, and Scheller Shoes – which was, of course, right next to Stars Hollow High School. Across the street from Weston’s was Stars Hollow Grade School. Next to that, in a house that had been residential for most of her life, was the Stars Hollow Synagogue. Finally, she’d noticed on her fourth trip around, Doose’s Market’s second-floor now housed the Pharmacy.

Next to Kim’s Antiques was the realtor’s office, which was the same as it had always been, but next to the realtor’s sat a squat house with a sign that read Wicca. She resisted the laughter that wanted to rise up in her throat – she imagined Mrs. Kim wasn’t too thrilled about that development. Budged up quite close to Wicca was a thin, two-story building with two signs - Gourmet Chinese and Pizzeria. She wondered, briefly, if there was any place to get good, greasy tacos in town.

She felt a sense of relief that so much was still the same, but a bit sad that there was so much that was different. 

As she drove through the town once more, she noticed that the Stars Hollow Gazette and Stars Hollow Law were still up and running in the building between Al’s International Sportsbar and Stars Hollow Books. They weren’t the only businesses in the building though. 

In a drastic switch from feeling calm and at home, from a sense of welcome to a sense of alarm, Rory parked a bit haphazardly in front of the Gazette building and got out of the car.

She was just about to pull open the glass door when she heard her name. She spun around. She couldn’t help just staring at him. He was different, but so much the same – exactly like the town she had always considered home.

“Mariano’s Publishing House?” she asked quietly.

He smirked at her for a moment, then nodded.

He’d always been so quiet, so monosyllabic. She shouldn’t have expected differently. “Why here?” Rory asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Jess shrugged. “Seemed like as good of a place as any. Plus, I’m close…to people I care about here.”

Rory gave him a long look-over, and it was then that she noticed the book he had tucked under his arm. For the first time, in a long time, she gave a genuine smile. “You’re reading it?”

His smile bloomed and sparkled, and wrinkled the skin around his eyes in a way she hadn’t realized she’d missed. “How could I not?” he asked.

She took a deep breath, and then sighed it out. “Is it any good?”

Jess blinked and held the book out to her. Devils and Dreams, a Gilmore Journal, was dog-eared in several places and had post-it notes sticking up at various pages.

“So, that’s a yes, then?” Rory asked timidly.

He laughed. The sound took her back, but also embraced her. She felt her eyes well up, and blinked back tears for a few moments.

“Of course it is, Rory,” he said softly. “It’s you.”  
***

END

**Author's Note:**

> (I used a map and an explanation to plan out where the changes were/are, but swapping Gypsy’s with the Newsstand because Newsstands are tiny and I’ve added in things that aren’t on the map but were in the town. Most of the business are original to the show, but several aren't).  
> the map: http://annastarshollow.blogspot.com/2012/11/town-centre-map-my-draft.html  
> the explanation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_Hollow
> 
> If you would like to see the properly stylized version of this tiny fiction (one-shot) please go here:  
> http://brokenheartedbard.tumblr.com/post/133554024196/fic-prompt-jess-and-rory-gilmore-girls


End file.
